Illinois Clean Car Act (updated)
I strongly supported the Illinois Clean Car Act, pending in this most recent session as HB 422 (introduced by Rep. Karen May) and cross-introduced in the Senate as SB 1941.

This bill essentially would have given Illinois the same automobile mileage/emissions standards as California, phasing in from 2012 to 2020; the logic was that if enough states adopt these higher standards, manufacturers will make cleaner cars.
The Illinois bill was mooted a few weeks ago by the welcome announcement from the White House of new CAFE and tailpipe standards, which will help standardize clean cars nationwide.

Clean cars are a win-win. The Illinois Climate Action Coalition calculates that Clean Car Standards would save Illinoisans $2,000-$3,000 in gasoline over the lifetime of their car, with a payback period of about 2-1/2 years for someone who pays cash, and slower payback but cumulatively still-significant savings for someone who finances.

Also, because money that consumers save on gasoline tends to stay in-state and recirculate rapidly into the economy, proponents calculate that a Clean Cars Standard would create nearly 12,500 jobs in Illinois, including nearly 2,000 union jobs.


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